Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Going back to school and work after two weeks of winter break always feels full. So it’s a sure thing that I will be making this Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken for meal prep this week. This quick family dinner recipe is easy and enjoyed by all. It also makes great lunch leftovers for the week. Alex and I love enjoying the Instant Pot Chicken in lettuce wraps, while the others in our family prefer to have rice bowls. It’s the same for school lunches! Alex gets a warm thermos of pulled chicken with a lettuce stored in our favorite plastic-free lunch containers. The girls enjoy warm rice bowls packed in thermos, and Michael has a big salad of fresh greens, peppers, black beans, avocado, and chicken.
It feels important and healthy to allow the kids to make their own food choices. When it’s dinner time, I put all the ingredients out and everyone gets to create their own bowl/dish. It’s fun this way and helps the kids feel more invested in eating! It allows them space to listen to their own bodies and understand what nutrition their bodies are needing. Piper had said that she didn’t want any protein, but then after ‘one bite’ ended up having three bowls of it.
Don’t just stop with the pulled chicken! Save the liquid from cooking the chicken in the Instant Pot! Add more broth, leftover shredded chicken, black beans, chopped tomatoes, and corn for a quick afternoon bowl of soup.
How to use the shredded chicken:
Lettuce Wraps
Burritos
Soup
Sandwiches
Rice Bowls
Salads
BBQ Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs of boneless chicken breast, or boneless thighs
- 1.5 cups of chicken or veggie broth
- 1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
- 1 tsp thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except the salt and pepper, into the Instant Pot.
- Close lid, and confirm the that vent is in the closed position.
- Press manual high pressure, and set for 12 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10-15 minutes, to avoid moisture spraying out of the manual release. Then you can press the manual release to help finish it off.
- With a fork in each hand, shred the chicken. I like to remove the chicken into a bowl, shred it up and then put it back in the juices.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If using the pulled chicken for sandwiches, pull the chicken from the liquid base and mix in some extra BBQ sauce.*
Notes:
*This recipe produces a liquidy base, which we like for added flavor over rice. For sandwiches, pull the chicken from the liquid to prevent your buns from getting soggy.
Don't throw away the liquid! Add more broth, leftover chicken, black beans, chopped tomatoes, and corn for a quick afternoon bowl of soup.
